


Outtake from The Elite Chunin

by sunny_seize



Series: Elite Chunin [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Omake, Outtake, not meant to be read on its own, part of a bigger story, there's mentions of graphic violence occurring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27211381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunny_seize/pseuds/sunny_seize
Summary: A scene from the Elite Chunin that didn't make the final cut. It occurs between Chapter 4 and 5. It is not necessary to read this to understand the Elite Chunin, but you do need to read the Elite Chunin to understand this.
Series: Elite Chunin [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1986583
Comments: 11
Kudos: 4





	Outtake from The Elite Chunin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Akemi_Snow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akemi_Snow/gifts).



> Hi everyone! I actually wrote this tidbit while I was writing the Elite Chunin some 3 years ago, but I didn't like how it fit with the pacing, so I cut it out. I was recently inspired by Akemi_Snow's lovely comments and decided to post this as a thank you as well as to finally get it out of my drafts folder haha  
> Enjoy~

Izumo sat upon his futon, meditating. It was getting close to the full moon, and Izumo didn’t need as much sleep right now. He thought he should probably catch a nap though, since he had to travel in the morning.

Remembering why he had to travel in the morning, Izumo exhaled a long breath to clear his thoughts. The chunin exams first round would start tomorrow morning, but Izumo wouldn’t need to proctor for a little while. Because of this, he and Kotetsu were being sent out on a side-mission.

Ibiki had sent a message alerting Izumo that the group he had been investigating before he was captured had decided to make a move. Ibiki wasn’t sure what they were planning, but they were planning something. And since they had decided to move during the chunin exams, which were being held in the Hidden Cloud Village, then it concerned Konoha, and therefore Ibiki.

Frankly, Izumo was uneasy. What he had found out about the group had been…worrying to say the least. Although the group was small, they were comprised of highly skilled ninja; none of which Izumo ever wanted to have to fight.

Each one of them had been marked in the Bingo Book as A-class or above, and if they had decided to make their move now, it meant that their plan had something to do with the chunin exams. Otherwise, why would they have waited? They could have made their move months ago, from what Izumo gathered on his mission, and they would have completed whatever it is they were planning, but they decided to wait, and that meant they were coming here for their plan. Was it to make their plan work, or was the chunin exams a central part of their plan? What did this…?

Breathe. In. Out. In. Out.

Clear those thoughts, Izumo. Quiet the mind.

Silence permeated his thoughts once again. Worrying over this and overthinking things wouldn’t help Izumo in the long run. All he needed to do was to get enough rest to be able to be effective tomorrow.

There we go. Calm once again.

A soft knock echoed throughout the room. Izumo opened his eyes, slightly surprised he didn’t feel any chakra approaching. Then, he realized that it must be Kakashi.

A spike of chakra outside his door informed Izumo that he was correct. Kakashi was on the other side of the door.

Izumo stood from his place on the ground and walked over to the door to let the other shinobi inside. Kakashi walked in calmly and turned to Izumo.

Izumo shut the door and leaned against the wall, facing Kakashi.

Kakashi shoved his hands in his pockets and spoke. “I don’t like this. Ibiki-san may be in charge of elite chunin, but the Hokage is in charge of all of Konoha’s shinobi. He will be angry when he finds out about this.”

Izumo closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. “Part of the reason Ibiki-san sent me on this proctoring mission was so I could keep an eye on this group’s movements. I know you have the clearance to hear this so I’m going to put it simply. This group…they call themselves the Shuurai. From what I gathered, they work separately from Kumogakure. In fact, I think the Raikage may be hunting them. There are five of them, and they have a moderate following in the island that is their headquarters. All five of them rank in the Bingo Book as A-class or above, and none of them have easily recognizable traits besides the clothing they wear. Ibiki wanted to investigate them because he is wary of what their intentions may be, setting up base so close to the border of Kumo and Kiri. Now, he’s even more suspicious because the group hasn’t made a move in months, and they just now decide to do something when the chunin exams are supposed to start tomorrow?”

Kakashi held up a hand to pause Izumo in his briefing of information. “Yes, I know the rest. I just think it is unwise to head back into territory so close to the area where you were captured.”

Izumo knew a mild flash of annoyance and defiance flashed across his face, but he couldn’t help it. Why was everybody underestimating him?!

“It’s not like I will be alone this time. Kotetsu will be with me, and we’ll watch each other’s backs.” It sounded like a whine, even in Izumo’s own ears.

Kakashi heaved a great sigh, like he was carrying a world of burdens on his shoulders. For all Izumo knew, he very well could be. “Alright. Alright. I won’t push my argument any further. But you will be sending me a daily update on your progress. I want it no later than 23:00 each day until you get back. That means when traveling and while investigating also.”

Izumo was about to agree to it when Kakashi interrupted him. He held up one hand to silence Izumo, then he bit his thumb and knelt on the ground. He murmured something before flashing some hand signs and placing his palm flat on the ground. An audible ‘poof’ sounded and smoke appeared.

Only it wasn’t just smoke. A small tan dog with long, dark brown ears appeared at Izumo’s feet. It scratched one ear before looking questioningly at Kakashi. “Boss?”

“Guruko. Glad you could make it.” Kakashi’s visible eye arched up into a curve, and Izumo got the sense that he was smiling.

The dog stood and shook itself before turning its head up at Kakashi. “Well?”

“Mission. I want you to go with Izumo and Kotetsu. Reconnaissance. Should be done before the week is over.”

Guruko nodded and turned around to look at Izumo. “You’re Izumo right? Name’s Guruko.”

Izumo flashed Guruko a half smile before looking at Kakashi. “Ah…is this necessary?”

Kakashi gave Izumo a pointed look before turning to Guruko. “You’re also going to be bringing me nightly reports. I’ll summon you to me, but you’ll have to make it back to Kotetsu and Izumo on your own. I trust you can handle this?”

The dog stretched its hind leg out and padded toward Izumo’s unused bed. “Sure thing, boss. Nightly reports. Back on my own. Working with Izumo and Kotetsu.”

Kakashi nodded and turned back to Izumo. “Anything else?”

Izumo sighed in resignation. “No. Nothing.”

Kakashi nodded and began to leave. Before opening the door though, he clapped a hand on Izumo’s shoulder. “Just be careful out there and don’t forget you have to proctor after this mission is over, so don’t risk injury if conflict arises.”

Izumo grit his teeth and nodded politely. He watched Kakashi walk out the door, and Izumo shut it behind him.

He hated that everyone thought he still needed to be coddled.

**~i~*~k~**

It was high noon, and the sun was beating down upon them without mercy. Heat waves rolled over their backs as they traversed the rocky landscape surrounding them. The only relief was a cool breeze that didn’t blow nearly often enough. An occasional strong wind would send the scent of salt water to their noses, mingling with the smell of sweat pouring off their backs.

Kotetsu murmured a grumble and checked the positioning of the sun. They had a good few hours to travel before they reached their destination: a seaside mountain village where Ibiki’s informants lived.

Izumo glanced over at his comrade. They hadn’t spoken except for a few sentences, and Izumo felt the tension between them like a palpable source.

Two days ago, before they had left, Kotetsu was in a fit that Kakashi was sending a dog along to babysit them. Guruko had been a good sport about it, but the fit hadn’t likened Kotetsu to the canine’s favor and vice versa.

So, Kotetsu was ignoring both of them in favor of making sure they stayed on track to the village. Izumo didn’t mind, it meant that he could focus on the task at hand. If indeed the Shuurai were on the move, they would need to give chase to figure out where exactly the Shuurai were heading to warrant suspicion.

And Guruko? Well, he was happily trotting along beside Izumo, taking in the new scents, sights, and sounds.

“Hmmm. That doesn’t smell good.”

Izumo turned to look down at their canine companion with a raised brow.

Guruko sat on his haunches and scratched at an ear. “Well…it won’t be a problem for another few hours, but I’d say we might want to hurry to the village you guys are trekking to just in case.”

By now Kotetsu was interested, and he had stopped to turn around and look at Guruko with a questioning brow as well.

Guruko just sighed and shook his head. “Let’s go you two. My nose is picking up stuff that we want to investigate sooner rather than later.”

Izumo took Guruko’s words to heart, and he started moving again in earnest. Kotetsu spent another second looking at their canine companion before turning and matching Izumo’s pace.

Fatigue has slowed Kotetsu’s and Izumo’s gait, as well as the harsh sun beating down on them. But with Guruko’s words to move faster, the two began a light run, turning into a full out sprint. The hour they would reach the village turned earlier and earlier, and soon the sea side village nestled in the mountains appeared on the horizon.

Guruko warned them for caution yet again, and Izumo and Kotetsu slowed to a crawl upon the rock covered ground.

As they crept along with taut muscles and straining ears, Izumo was the first to sense something not quite right.

There was no sound. No noise whatsoever.

He quickened his pace and reached a ledge that would overlook the village in full. What he saw stopped his gait mid stride.

Kotetsu bumped into his back, and he about cursed at Izumo, until he saw the decimation before them.

The village below them was painted in bright crimson splashes. Buildings, carts, the ground, bodies… Not one area was untouched by whatever massacre occurred here. Blood covered everything. And no one seemed to be alive.

The tang of metallic liquid and rotting flesh contaminated the air around them, with the occasional sharp breeze of salt water as wind swept over their forms.

The two elite chunin looked at each other before wordlessly drawing their weapons and heading into the village to investigate.

They split up to cover the area quicker, with Guruko staying on the ledge as a lookout.

After what seemed like endless hours picking apart the buildings, bodies, and remains, Kotetsu and Izumo met up again with Guruko at the ledge as night fell.

“Every single person who was an informant to Ibiki-san is dead. I checked their houses first, and all of them have been…killed.” Izumo reported to Kotetsu.

Kotetsu shook his head. “Fuckin’ sickos. Not even the children were left alive. Who could do this?”

Izumo bit his bottom lip and looked down at Guruko, who was looking up at the both of them. “Shuurai. They’re the only explanation.”

Guruko hung his head and appeared to be deep in thought. A spark of lightning chakra alit his body, and he frowned in irritation. “Boss is calling me for an update. I’ll have to leave you two for now. See what else you can make of this situation, and write down everything you have taken note about. Uh…I’ll try to meet up with you guys soon as I can. Might I have a piece of cloth so I can trace your scents more easily?”

Izumo nodded and dug in his pockets. A spare bandana appeared in his hand, and he tucked it into Guruko’s headband. “Will that do?”

Guruko nodded. “Thanks, Izumo. I should be back by 06:00. If not, I’ll find you wherever you guys decide to go after this. But uh…don’t track down the Shuurai, okay? Boss’ll be mad if you guys are killed on my watch.”

With a lick of his chops and what appeared to be a paw wave, Guruko was gone in a puff of smoke.

Kotetsu looked at Izumo, and Izumo shrugged. “I suppose we set up camp for the night? We have to figure out what happened here, and it would make more sense to search in the daytime. And burning the bodies now would just attract unwanted attention.”

Kotetsu nodded an agreement, and the two of them trekked further down the mountain, away from the village and toward the sea to set up camp.

**~i~*~k~**

Izumo plunked some wood down on their makeshift campfire. They had found a hollowed-out ledge that served just as well as any cave. It was a little cool, seeing at the ocean was not even 100 meters from them.

Kotetsu was currently out in the ocean attempting to catch them some late dinner. So far, he hadn’t been successful. Izumo had attempted to help, but Kotetsu had ordered him to build a fire and set up camp. Apparently, the other chunin didn’t want company around him.

Izumo sighed as he plopped down next to the fire. It was blazing lowly but the warmth from it was good. It warmed Izumo’s fingers and toes and chased away the chill of the ocean air.

He didn’t even remember the last time he had camped out like this with a teammate. He had mainly been assigned solo missions since being snagged in Ibiki’s ranks…really Izumo didn’t remember camping with teammates since he was with his genin squad.

He, Emiko, and Kotetsu were all on the same genin squad straight out of the academy. They had all been average in skills, but their squad leader, Yamanaka Inoichi, worked them until they could be called great ninja in their own right.

Sighing, Izumo shook his head clear of memories threatening to pop to the surface. His genin team wasn’t a topic that he was particularly keen on remembering, even if they had all been great friends back then.

“Oi, help me gut and clean these, would ya?”

Izumo looked up to see Kotetsu walking in with five fish strung on a line. He stood and retrieved a clean senbon and kunai from his weapons’ pouch.

They both sat in front of the fire, preparing their late dinner in silence.

When they were done, and the fish were cooking on a stick, Izumo prepared to endure more silence. So, it was surprising that Kotetsu began to talk.

“Do you remember when Inoichi-sensei used to yell at us for throwing the fish guts at Emiko? She would shriek her head off until we both formally apologized to her and gave her a bigger portion of dinner.”

Izumo blinked at Kotetsu, but Kotetsu was staring intently at the fish cooking on the fire. “…yeah. She wouldn’t even finish eating her extra portions. She would waste them, but Inoichi-sensei never could reprimand her for it.”

Kotetsu chuckled and nodded his head. “Such a push over, Inoichi-sensei.”

Izumo hummed in agreement. He wasn’t sure where this was coming from. They hadn’t spoken of Emiko ever since they stopped being friends.

Silence settled over the duo again. It wasn’t until they were nearly finished eating that Kotetsu spoke up again. “Do you ever miss her?”

Izumo stared hard at his fish. “Why are you asking these questions, Kotetsu?”

Kotetsu made a noncommittal noise. “I do. She never felt like a third wheel on our genin team. She happened to fit with both of us just right.”

Izumo closed his eyes and waited. And waited. And waited. When Kotetsu didn’t continue, he cracked an eye lid open and looked over at the raven haired chunin. “Do you still blame me? For what happened?”

Kotetsu’s dark eyes looked at Izumo over the fire’s dancing flames, and Izumo knew the answer immediately. Yes. He did.

Izumo looked away first and put down his fish. He lost his appetite. “I’m going to keep watch. Get your rest. It’s not like I’ll need to sleep tonight. Full moon and all.”

Izumo could still feel Kotetsu’s eyes on him as he exited the mouth of their hideout.

**~i~*~k~**

At 06:30, Guruko found Kotetsu and Izumo’s campsite and neither chunin had made to leave yet. Even though it was still early, Guruko had to frown a little at them. “We should get a move on. Boss doesn’t want you guys out here now that he knows about the massacre. Says you should send a message to Ibiki and get back to the exams.”

Izumo dipped his head in agreement. “I was planning on erasing the bodies before we went back to the Hidden Cloud. Whoever did this may come back for information gathering, and I don’t want them to be able to glean anything from the corpses or houses.”

Kotetsu yawned and stretched his muscles. “Yeah, we’ll burn the village then head out.”

Guruko grumbled an approval and sat on his haunches to scratch at an ear. “You guys can leave your packs here while you do the burn and erase job. I need a nap, and I can guard your packs while you do business.”

The elite chunin looked at each other over the canine’s head, but they both agreed it was probably for the best. The two picked up only what they would need to make decimation easier before climbing up the rocky incline back to the bloody village.

A few hours later, smoke billowed in the sky, and echoes of explosions remained on the mountains’ slopes. Kotetsu had used oil to make it burn faster and brighter, while Izumo had used the aid of explosive tags to set things off quicker. They should be able to leave by high noon.

Before setting fire to the village, however, they looked all over for any kind of evidence that would be useful to them. The only thing they found was the Shuurai symbol, marking this massacre as their job. They must have found out there were traitors in this village. Upon not being able to find out who was a traitor and who wasn’t, they decided to kill them all to take care of any remaining leaks of information.

It made Izumo’s gut twist at the brutality and careless scoff at human life these guys seemed to possess for others. The blood, the bodies that were so obviously tortured before death, the carelessness the remains were left in, all of these things made memories spring up unbidden in Izumo’s mind.

Now, as he stood watching the fire, his memories wouldn’t leave him alone. Flashes of being drowned, beaten, and tortured appeared like apparitions before his eyes. It took him a moment too long to realize that Kotetsu was trying to get his attention.

Izumo inhaled a breath with the taste of smoke lingering in the air before blinking his eyes a few times and turning toward Kotetsu. “We should get lunch then leave. I ransacked a few food items from various houses before we began so we’d have something to eat on the way back.”

Kotetsu watched him with dark eyes before nodding once.

Both elite chunin turned to walk back toward their makeshift hideout.

**~i~*~k~**

The three companions traveled swiftly and kept to the shadows. They were still a day’s journey from the Hidden Cloud, and so far their path had been clear.

Izumo hoped it would stay that way until they were back in their hotel room. His mind was high strung, and his muscles were taut with anxiety. While it was beneficial to him to be this way on their mini-mission, it wouldn’t do him any good to appear stressed in front of any of the Leaf village ninja.

He didn’t want to be coddled any more than they had already done so.

“There’s a stream up ahead. We could refresh ourselves and make camps a ways away. Get an early start tomorrow and be in the Hidden Cloud Village before nightfall.” Guruko’s voice was a calming presence, but Izumo didn’t miss the way Kotetsu’s shoulders tensed whenever the canine spoke.

“Yeah. We’ll do that.” Kotetsu said, though his gait didn’t slow.

They traveled for another mile before they were upon the stream that Guruko had sniffed out.

Kotetsu and Izumo took turns refilling water skins and bathing to get rid of the scent of smoke that clung to their clothing before setting up camp.

Izumo was able to catch three fish in stream, and they cooked that for dinner.

Guruko was content to eat his raw, before he was called away by Kakashi again.

Izumo ate slowly while he carefully avoided Kotetsu’s gaze.

Kotetsu was silent as he ate dinner, and Izumo thought about just how awkward and strained they were when it was just the two of them without any pretenses to keep up.

He wished it was like the old days, as Kotetsu had mentioned mere nights ago. With him, Kotetsu, Emiko, and Inoichi-sensei camping around the fire. Joking, telling stories, or teasing each other was the usual for their team. If only things had turned out differently…

But those thoughts were useless to think about now. Each of them had forged their own lives, separate from one another. While it was painful now, it was a fact of life. Change, good or bad, always happened.

It was inevitable.

Kotetsu was glancing at Izumo, and Izumo caught his eye.

Kotetsu frowned at him, but he surprised Izumo by speaking first again. “Wani Nagisa…you can handle being a proctor with that guy?”

Izumo grit his teeth at the question. “I told you already; I can handle it.”

Kotetsu let out a long-suffering sigh. “How can you be sure you won’t pass out again as soon as you see the guy? What if you have an episode around him? What if you…”

Kotetsu trailed off, but Izumo could hear the clear end of that question. _What if you break again?_

They still hadn’t spoken about Izumo’s meltdown on top of Kotetsu before they traveled to Kumo, but it was clear it had freaked Kotetsu out.

Freaked him out enough for him to have a misplaced sense of…of concern for Izumo’s well-being? Yeah, right. As if.

Izumo hated that the pity and worry everyone was throwing his way. He needed to prove that he was back on his own two feet so everyone would stop _being so concerned_.

He didn’t need Kotetsu showing him concern if Kotetsu was only going to leave him once this team mission was over.

“Look,” Izumo looked directly into Kotetsu’s eyes as he spoke. “I can handle whatever Nagisa throws at me. I was surprised and caught off guard in that briefing room. It’s not like we’ll have to interact more than what’s expected between two proctors of different villages, and I’m not going to seek out his company. I won’t be caught off guard again.” _I won’t be breaking anywhere near that guy_.

Kotetsu ground his teeth before replying. “Fine. Like I said, you will keep in contact with me, okay?”

“Yeah. Fine.”

“Fine.”

The two finished the rest of their evening in silence, and Izumo took watch again that night. When Guruko returned in the morning, the two were ready to set out. They traveled back to Kumo and arrived well before the end of the second exam. Izumo wrote up their report to send on to Ibiki and the Third Hokage.

For a few days, Izumo was able to relax, just a little, before the third exam begun.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! :D


End file.
